I had a sneaky peake to see if any of my earlies were ready (some were but some were still only an inch in diameter) so took a few of the bigger ones and put the earth back.
Do folks normally harvest their potatoes all in one go or just take them as and when they need them?
If you harvest them all at once, what do you use to store them and how long do first and second earlies normally store for?
Many thanks
MEW x
Harvesting Potatoes
-
glenniedragon
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 699
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 1:53 pm
- Location: Wellington, South West UK
- Contact:
-
hedgewizard
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 1415
- Joined: Fri Feb 17, 2006 9:26 pm
- Location: dorset, UK
- Contact:
Both first and second earlies are best eaten straight out of the ground, on the day you dig them up (storing them loses the "new potato" taste very quickly). You should carefully move soil away from the base of a typical plant to see if the potatoes are the size of hen's eggs yet, and start harvesting one plant at a time as soon as they are.
The plants are worth checking as soon as the flowers start to drop or dry out, and once the spuds get too big then they're essentially maincrops that won't store well. You have to work out how many plants you'll get through before the spuds are getting too big, which is why many people grow second earlies as well as first. I grew ten of each this year and the remainder to maincrop (for storage), and it looks as if ten each may have been a few too many.
By the way, don't wait for the smallest potatoes to get up to size if it means waiting too long! The smaller they are, the better the taste (up to a point) so it's a trade-off of taste vs yield.
The plants are worth checking as soon as the flowers start to drop or dry out, and once the spuds get too big then they're essentially maincrops that won't store well. You have to work out how many plants you'll get through before the spuds are getting too big, which is why many people grow second earlies as well as first. I grew ten of each this year and the remainder to maincrop (for storage), and it looks as if ten each may have been a few too many.
By the way, don't wait for the smallest potatoes to get up to size if it means waiting too long! The smaller they are, the better the taste (up to a point) so it's a trade-off of taste vs yield.
http://www.farminmypocket.co.uk - polytunnel offers, reviews, and more self-sufficiency information than you can shake a chicken at
I pick them as I need them too. Mostly I just stick my hand in the soil and pull out enough for that day and then at the end of the season (just before the frosts hit) dig the whole bed up. I get potatoes from December to about May straight out of the ground (in NZ) and then store the rest for as long into the winter as I can.
Gidday
Hey good to see ya George.
I found that if you mound extra soil up our the rows and just leav em in the ground I can harvest one or two roots at a time right through the winter and into spring, until the ground starts to warm up too much and they start sprouting.
If you can protect them, proper, even down here in inland Otago I have actually had new spuds, small I will admit, at the end of October, just after I had finished digging the main croppers.
Hey good to see ya George.
I found that if you mound extra soil up our the rows and just leav em in the ground I can harvest one or two roots at a time right through the winter and into spring, until the ground starts to warm up too much and they start sprouting.
If you can protect them, proper, even down here in inland Otago I have actually had new spuds, small I will admit, at the end of October, just after I had finished digging the main croppers.
Cheers
just a Rough Country Boy.
just a Rough Country Boy.
-
Stonehead
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 2432
- Joined: Wed Apr 12, 2006 2:31 pm
- Location: Scotland
- Contact:
We grow both first and second earlies, harvesting them a plant at a time. We also grow main crop, 1.5 tonnes last year, and these are stored in reinforced 10cwt coal bunkers, layered with straw.
We're just finishing the last of the stored ones now. The final ones will go into our brewing vats to make spiced potato wine and barley wine.
The main things with storage are darkness, low temperatures (just above freezing) and good airflow to keep the potatoes dry. Oh, and rat proofing!
We're just finishing the last of the stored ones now. The final ones will go into our brewing vats to make spiced potato wine and barley wine.
The main things with storage are darkness, low temperatures (just above freezing) and good airflow to keep the potatoes dry. Oh, and rat proofing!
-
ina
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 8241
- Joined: Sun May 22, 2005 9:16 pm
- Location: Kincardineshire, Scotland
... and mouse proofing - the mice got my last ones! They even dug into a bucket in which I'd grown them - found that they keep best in the bucket, in the garage/ B****s!Stonehead wrote: The main things with storage are darkness, low temperatures (just above freezing) and good airflow to keep the potatoes dry. Oh, and rat proofing!
Ina
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
I'm a size 10, really; I wear a 20 for comfort. (Gina Yashere)
Gidday
George, if you heap enough soil over the rows in the autumn it will insulate them enough for them not to hget frosted.
I use "rocket" spuds for my earlies because they are the fastest growing. They only take 60 days to get your first feed.
And StoneHead, I have never though of making spud wine from the end of season ones. That sounds a brilliant idea but what does it taste like?
George, if you heap enough soil over the rows in the autumn it will insulate them enough for them not to hget frosted.
I use "rocket" spuds for my earlies because they are the fastest growing. They only take 60 days to get your first feed.
And StoneHead, I have never though of making spud wine from the end of season ones. That sounds a brilliant idea but what does it taste like?
Cheers
just a Rough Country Boy.
just a Rough Country Boy.
The process of sneaking spuds while the plant remains growing is called "bandicooting" here in Aus.
Nev
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
Our website on living more sustainably in the suburbs! - http://www.underthechokotree.com/
-
contadina
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 807
- Joined: Thu Mar 29, 2007 12:11 pm
- Location: Puglia, Italy
Morning all. I harvested all of our spuds a couple of weeks ago as is the norm in southern Italy. Although I'd been picking them as and when needed everyone digs the lot up after the festa of Saint Antonio in mid-June. I love the way that the gardener's diary is tied in with religious one over here - it makes it very easy for everyone to remember stuff!
As temperatures soared to 45% during the day and 28% at night last week I guess that this why it is prudent to harvest when we did. My question relates to their storage in such hot conditions. I've followed my neighbours leads in that I have placed them in wooden fruit boxes and stacked them in a dark corner of our trullo (these are built with double dry stone walls that create a thermos effect that keep things cooler and are therefore ideal for storing food). The ambient temperature in the trullo is mid 20s at the moment, so much higher than just above freezing!
I've been told that I should eat the smallest ones first as the bigger ones will last longer, so have stacked them accordingly. Does anyone have any tips on how we can keep them in an edible condition for the longest period in a hot climate.
Thanks all and I wish you all a spudtastic weekend.
As temperatures soared to 45% during the day and 28% at night last week I guess that this why it is prudent to harvest when we did. My question relates to their storage in such hot conditions. I've followed my neighbours leads in that I have placed them in wooden fruit boxes and stacked them in a dark corner of our trullo (these are built with double dry stone walls that create a thermos effect that keep things cooler and are therefore ideal for storing food). The ambient temperature in the trullo is mid 20s at the moment, so much higher than just above freezing!
I've been told that I should eat the smallest ones first as the bigger ones will last longer, so have stacked them accordingly. Does anyone have any tips on how we can keep them in an edible condition for the longest period in a hot climate.
Thanks all and I wish you all a spudtastic weekend.
-
Millymollymandy
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 17637
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2005 6:09 am
- Location: Brittany, France
Is it cooler in your house? I stored all my spuds in a cupboard in the downstairs bathroom because it is the coldest room in the house (winter and summer!), rarely getting over 20C in the summer.
I also dug up all my spuds (not all in one go, but a row at a time). Dried them out then put into heavy duty paper sacks like feed grain ones and stored indoors.
They stored for many months even though they'd grow eyes but I just rubbed them off.
Didn't grow any this year though.
I also dug up all my spuds (not all in one go, but a row at a time). Dried them out then put into heavy duty paper sacks like feed grain ones and stored indoors.
They stored for many months even though they'd grow eyes but I just rubbed them off.
Didn't grow any this year though.